America's Biggest Health Mistake

In a country overwhelmed with confusing fitness advice, it’s easy to see why more people don’t embrace an active lifestyle. Complicated exercise programs can discourage even the most committed exerciser. Unfortunately, most people believe that physical activity needs to be intense and performed over long periods of time to be beneficial. Despite this belief, there is strong evidence linking short bouts of moderate and high intensity physical activity to better health. The American College of Sports Medicine, the U.S. Surgeon General and the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recommend approximately 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most days of the week. They also acknowledge that dividing your physical activity into shorter bouts (three 10-minute walks versus one 30-minute walk) provides the same health benefit. Given that the average American does just about nothing, the real issue is to do something! I recommend at least one high-intensity strength workout per week along with building minutes by including long and or short bouts of daily physical activity.